Injuries to Joints, Tendons and Ligaments*

We have focused on joints, tendons and ligaments because we cover an important middle ground: we see people who are not so far along that they need surgery, but have too much pain to ignore. We see our role as preventing or significantly delaying the need for surgery.   We are usually successful in this, but where indicated, we will surely let patients know that we think that surgery is appropriate.

The knee, our bodies’ biggest joint, has medial and lateral collateral ligaments, a quadriceps tendon above and the patellar tendon below, and is crossed by many muscles.  The tendons of the sartorius, gracilis and semitendonosis can be seen on the right (inner) side of this drawing of the right knee.  Cartilage covers the actual points of contact in this complex three-bone joint. All of these structures respond to stress-relief, yoga, and steroid, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and stem cell injections.

Each of these  anatomical parts, muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments and cartilage, so familiar in the knee, are actually present throughout our bodies:  in the ankles, shoulders, elbows and wrists, for example. The histology, the tissue, is very much the same wherever it is found, and responds very much the same way its counterpart does in the knee. Therefore the same methods of innocuous, effective treatment are applicable for tennis elbow, subdeltoid bursitis, and numerous causes of ankle pain. Many conditions also respond to other alternative therapies.